Content

The Tale

The great Count Dracula is shocked. The members of his vampire clan have
lived for some time on ketchup. The sweet, syrupy, seasoned dip
just tastes better, and is more hygienic, than blood!

"Unheard of! Betrayal!" rants Dracula as he chases the vampires out of
the palace and seals the big tomato, the inexhaustible source of all ketchup,
in a dark, forbidding tower.

Today the young vampires have gathered to steal that modern emblem of power,
the tomato, from the Count.

Whoever holds the tomato will rule the vampires.

Beware, however! Vampires become anxious around tomatoes,
and if they are offered any...!

Preparations

Before the first game please punch out all of of the cards
and twist the ketchup bottles out of the plastic frameworks.

Game Figures - each player should place a vampire of their choosing
on a red start space. The outer start spaces are only used if there are
more than 4 players.

Castle Towers, Tomato, and Onions - one player conceals the tomato and the
four onions one per tower and puts on the spires. He does this under cover, e.g.
under the table. The towers are then given to another player who mixes them
and then places the taciturn towers on the tower spaces on the board. No one
must know which tower holds the tomato!

Both bridges and both duel dice are placed beside the board.

Sort the fate cards into stacks by color, shuffle each stack, and
place each stack with the cards face down in the red card holder.
Then place the filled card holder beside the board.

The shuffle the spell cards and stack them face down beside the board.
Each player of receives three cards from this stack and lays them face up
in front of himself. Three cards are also placed face up in the framed
spaces on the board.

Each player takes four ketchup bottles. The rest remain as reserve in the box.

The three game rule summaries are distributed around the board so that
the players can use them to refresh their memories (and their German skills).

The hunt of the vampires may begin. Plays proceeds clockwise.
The player who rolls the highest total on two dice begins.

Goal of the Game

Which tower hides the big tomato? The movement along the path to the towers
is influenced by fateful spell cards, duels with other players, bridges
and ketchup bottles.

Whoever takes control of the tomato is the new master vampire!

Movement

You may move your vampire 1, 2, or 3 spaces (without rolling). The
first space costs nothing. Each further space costs one ketchup bottle
(ketchup bottles are returned to the reserve in the box).

In any event, you will always land on a colored space at the end of your turn.
Draw the top fate card of that color from the card holder. Show this card
to the other players, do what it says, then put the card back on the
bottom of the stack in the card holder.

You may also play up to three spell cards during your turn.
A speed card allows your vampire to move up to three additional
spaces. No ketchup bottles are required for these additional spaces;
sorcery is free!

Fate Cards

In each of the stack are 2 "bad" and 3 "good"
fate cards.

The "bad" fate cards indicate that 1, 2, or 3 of your spell cards must
be discarded. These are placed on the bottom of the spell card stack.
Other "bad" fate cards indicate that 1, 2, or 3 of your ketchup bottles
must be returned to the reserve in the box. Naturally, these totals will be limited
by the number of bottles and cards which you have on hand.

The "good" fate cards indicate that you may take 1, 2, or 3 of the
spell cards displayed on the board. You may choose which of the cards you
take. Other "good" fate cards indicate the number of ketchup bottles
you may take from the reserve.

The best fate card is the flying vampire. It allows you to either move your
vampire to any space on the board that is the same color as the fate card.
Or you may take a confidential peek inside one of the castle towers.
If you choose the second option then your vampire does not move; it stays
in the space where its turn ended. Also, you may not take the contents
of the tower; you just get to look. You may only remove the contents of
a tower when you stand in the castle yard!

The fate cards are not shuffled during the game so one can easily take notice
of their sequence. Once the sequence is known you can consciously choose
the color of the space you land on in order to receive the best fate cards.

Notice

A player may possess neither more than eight ketchup bottles nor more than
five spell cards. Surplus spell cards may not be picked up. Surplus ketchup
bottles are immediately added to the reserve in the box.

Spell Cards

The vampires may influence considerable control over game events
through the magical powers of the spell cards.

Ketchup Elixir

The ketchup elixir cards can fetch ketchup bottles from the reserve.
You is not cashed needs, if one e.g. a duel-blame has or because a
fate-card the depositing of ketchup-bottles demands. (There four
1 bottle, three 2 bottle, and two 3 bottle spell cards.)

Glove

The glove card allows you to steal one spell card from another player.
A glove spell may not be used to pilfer another glove spell.
(There are four glove spell cards.)

Speed

The speed card extends your movement by 1, 2, or 3 spaces.
The player spends no ketchup bottles for these additional moves.
Sorcery is free. (There are 3 speed spell cards.)

For example, a player moves only 1 space, which costs nothing. He then plays a
speed card and moves 3 spaces further. This move has not cost him
any ketchup bottles.

Bridge

A bridge card allows the addition or movement of a bridge.
A player may only move a bridge once both bridges are on the board.
(There are six bridge spell cards.)

The collapsed, broken paths may only be crossed with help of a bridge.
Naturally, one can take a detour and move over any existing bridge.

Duel

Duel cards increase the battle strength of the vampires. These are only
played during duels and is discarded at the end of the duel [only used once?].
(There are four +1, two +2, and two +3 duel spell cards.)

Other Notes on Spell Cards

In the course of a turn, each player may play a maximum of three spell cards
(the duel cards are not included in this count).

With the spell cards of each player openly displayed, you may make
tactical decisions.

For example:

1 glove card is played to steal the bridge card from another player.

the bridge card is played and the bridge conveniently moves.

the speed card is played and the vampire moves altogether up to 6 spaces over the newly placed bridge.

Spell cards are returned to the bottom of the spell card stack after they are
played. They are always valid for only one application of the indicated spell
(that is, you may to use one bridge card, for example, to create two bridges).

Notice

No player may possess more than five spell cards. Excess cards may not be picked up.

Always replace the three spell cards on the board as they are taken.
Each player may choose which of the cards to take when they are awarded
new spell cards (either by a fate card, profit from a duel, or possession
of an onion).

Duels

Antagonistic vampires are allowed to jump over one another. However, you
may not always want to go out of your way. A player may move onto an
occupied space and cause a duel. Exception: The first space
in front of the starting place is a duel free zone.

Duels are fought with the duel dice. The aggressor rolls with the red, the
defender with the black die. (This is important, because the red die has a
point advantage.)

If you have a duel card, you must play it before the dice are rolled.
(Remember! The duel cards are not affected by the three spell card per turn limit.)

Die points and duel card points are added. The highest total wins the duel.
If there is a tie then the dice are traded. Once again, each player may play
a duel card and the dice are rolled. This continues until a clear
winner is determined.

The Duel Winner Wins

1 spell card from the board (don't forget to replace this card immediately).

2 ketchup bottles from the loser (or as many as they have, if they have fewer than two).

He moves the loser's vampire up to 4 spaces but never onto:

an occupied space

a start space

a black space (castle or dungeon)

over an unbridge abyss [Ken: my translation software gave me
"a bridge loosely abysses away" as the translation so this is just
a best guess based on play].

A player is never forced to use their ketchup elixir cards to pay a duel debt.
If he has ketchup bottles, he pays as many as he can; if he doesn't have any,
he pays nothing.

Notice

Also, after a duel, once the new location of the current player has been
determined, a fate card must be drawn for that space and its instructions
followed!

Supplies

If you wish to renew your supplies of ketchup bottles and spell cards, you
may do so instead of moving.

Throw both dice and divide the sum between spell cards and ketchup bottles.
For 1 point you may take one ketchup bottle; for 2 points you may
take one spell card.

Example

The sum of the die is 5. You may take 2 spell cards and 1 ketchup bottle,
1 spell card and 3 ketchup bottles, or 5 ketchup bottles.

However, you must obey the customary limits on possession of spell cards and
ketchup bottles. Ketchup bottles are taken from the reserve in the box.
Spell cards are selected from the cards on the board.

Notice

If your supplies are filled to overflowing you can, if you want, also
draw a fate card, do what it says, then discard up to three spell cards.

The Castle

If you want to wrest control of the big tomato, you must dare to enter
the the horrifying castle.

Move normally over a bridge onto the black space in the castle.
However, you must pay an admission fee (toll) in ketchup bottles.
Throw both dice and return that number of ketchup bottles to
the reserve. If you are caught short, you will be thrown immediately
into the dungeon. Therefore, one is wise to dare to enter the castle
only with a large store of ketchup.

Once the castle toll as been paid, you may open a castle tower.
Is the tomato inside? Congratulations! The new master vampire
and game winner has been found! If it is an onion then off to
the dungeon with you! The onion may be kept. It entitles its owner
to take a spell card from the board at the start of each turn
(normal limits apply). A player may take only one spell card
no matter how many onions they possess.

The dungeon is a disagreeable place even for vampires.
Those imprisoned inside may escape if they:

place a bridge and moves normally

or with bribes the dungeon keepers with 4 ketchup bottles and moves
normally even without a bridge (the bottles are returned to the reserve)

or roll 4 or higher on two dice (as though to acquire ketchup bottles) then move normally

One may also use the dungeon stay replenish their supplies. The
dungeon is big enough to hold several vampires; however, they are
not allowed to duel there and, naturally, may not draw fate cards.

Note

Alex Randolph has reused some elements from his game,
"Drachenfels" ("Dragonrock"), in this game.

Translator's Notes

We found that house rules were necessary to make this game playable at all.
We never managed to make it fun. Perhaps there are other problems lurking
in my translation of the rules.

House Rule 1 - End of Turn

A player's turn ends when they draw their fate card. By implication, a player
draws only one fate card no matter how many spaces they get bounced onto
during their turn. The fate card drawn matches the space they are standing
on at the end of their turn.

House Rule 2 - Replacement of Spell Cards

Do not replace any spell cards displayed on the board until a player
has finished choosing all of the spell cards that they are meant
to pick up.